The Spectrum of Dreams
by mintteas
Summary: In the moment their eyes had met, she knew that he was her ultimate destiny. But, then again, no one said anything about destiny being a conniving, two-faced joker with a hidden agenda. Bao Sanniang/Guan Suo, slight Guan Suo/OC.
1. Chapter 1

A dark cloud loomed overhead, and the foreboding sense of fear and war filtered through the mid-afternoon atmosphere that surrounded Fancheng, Jingzhou. A clear downhill battle had been fought, and all was but lost in the rampage. In the mad storm that fell from the sky, three figures clad in emerald stood at the mouth of the castle, tensed, waiting as the cold evening crept across the sky.

The tallest figure, a man of evident authority, gazed up at the great structure that refused to yield to his powerful hand. A shadow of anger passed quickly across his face as he spoke in a deep growl.

"It seems I have underestimated you, Sun Quan. You will not relinquish Fan Castle to Shu, even for your own betrayal against us. What arrogance."

To his right, a burly young man spoke up, his eyebrows knit in unchallenged fury. His voice rang clear through the thunder and rain, echoing against the stone walls.

"Father, we still have time! We can still take Fancheng. Let us help you reclaim this for Lord Liu Bei!"

At this, he turned to the last companion, who, with an unreadable expression, met his eye and nodded once firmly.

"No, Guan Ping. The risk is unnecessary. Fan Castle is lost. We must now focus on our escape or jeopardize any chance of reclaiming Fancheng in the future."

"But father –" The young man protested, but was immediately silenced into bitterness by the raising of his father's hand.

"Do as I say, Guan Ping, or we will all regret such rash decisions!"

In the muteness of his obedience, Guan Ping performed a curt nod and motioned to his still taciturn cohort, who in turn, approached him and stood stiffly by his side.

"Go, make for Chengdu. We must inform Brother Liu Bei. Have no fear, Guan Suo," He added to the youngest, who stared up at his towering father. "We will prevail against Wu in the coming battles. Now, go, and make haste, my sons!"

In a practiced formality, the two bowed low to the former, and quickly retreated from his side, moving towards the main camp.

The God of War directed his fierce gaze upon Fan Castle, his bloodied scythe gripped tightly in his right hand. A shameful defeat for the mighty Guan Yu, but it was not over. On his life he swore to unite the land under Liu Bei's name. This effort against Sun Quan was merely a minor setback. Whatever fire Wu had under their banner would soon be extinguished. He would see to that.

But for now, there was no other choice. Before resent took over him, he turned on his heel and strode quickly away from the emptied castle, through a field of battle aftermath and new corpses. On his soldier's life, he swore to take Jing back for Shu. However, for now, he needed to return home.

* * *

><p>"Hurry, Guan Suo!" Guan Ping urged his younger brother, who had continued to glance back constantly after their departure from Fancheng. The anxiety in Guan Suo's eyes did not need to be translated into words – the fear for his father was too great. He willed his legs to carry him further forward, but his mind seemed too immersed in worry to command them properly. A heavy breath escaped his lips, and Guan Ping stopped in his tracks, his features creased in questioning. "What's wrong?"<p>

"It's father, he still hasn't arrived," Guan Suo breathed, his voice almost imploring.

"We cannot worry about that, he said to make for Chengdu in all haste – you heard him," Guan Ping urged him, and yet Guan Suo chanced another look over his shoulder. The elder held his brother's shoulders and gave him a light shake. "Brother, have you no faith in our father, whose strength is legend throughout the land?"

"I have all the faith in our father, and more." Guan Suo replied firmly.

"Then we must put that faith into use – our father will not abandon us. And as his sons, we must hold the legacy to his name. Come, Guan Suo," Guan Ping pressed. "We are almost at the main camp."

Guan Suo nodded, and followed quickly after his brother – but no sooner had he taken a step did he hear a loud cry of fury, uttered wordlessly in the familiar voice of the God of War.

"It's Father," He cried, and began to retrace his steps, and would have done so all the way at that moment had Guan Ping not held his wrist with a firm grip that might have broken a bone.

"No, Guan Suo, we must keep moving forward!" Guan Ping insisted.

"You continue on to Chengdu without me, Guan Ping," Guan Suo wrenched his arm out of his brother's tight grasp. "Send the message to Lord Liu Bei. I will help our father."

Guan Ping remained silent, considering. But in the moment he met his brother's gaze again, he found himself agreeing quietly, his head nodding in consent.

"I will bring Father back, Guan Ping," Guan Suo promised, his eyes shining bright.

"And I pray to the gods for me to see you both alive in Chengdu," Guan Ping replied. "Be careful, my brother."

"And you." Guan Suo inclined his head, and turned on his heel to hurry back to his father, his nunchucks clutched tightly under his slim fingers. Labored breaths fell from his lips, and his mind raced faster than he – _what if he was too late?_

No, he could not afford to think that way. His eyes scanned the gray horizon for any sign of his father. Almost blindly, he moved forward, calling out for his father.

Finally, a small silhouette appeared against the minimal light, poised for battle, prepared to strike. Guan Suo cried for his father, and the shadow turned to him, as it grew bigger with each step he took towards it.

"Father!" Guan Suo mustered all the oxygen in his lungs and called out, as if stopping would make him disappear into the evening darkness.

Guan Yu stood in silence at the edge of a tall precipice, having fallen the last of the Wu corporals that had followed him from Fan Castle. He watched his son approach him, but did not reply to the calls. His chest rose up and down in heavy strain, the fatigue beginning to seep into his tired bones. But he molded his face into fierceness as Guan Suo reached his side, looking down at his son.

"I heard you – Guan Ping has – he has gone to Chengdu for – for Lord Liu Bei," Guan Suo panted, exhausted from the effort of both his marathon and his worry.

"Good," Guan Yu replied. "Now, Guan Suo, we must go. It is not safe to –"

"Halt, Guan Yu!"

Guan Yu muttered one bitter word – "Ambush". A band of Wu lieutenants appeared, surrounding them from every side. One man – a brave one, standing directly in front of him – spoke in a voice that, for the unpracticed ear, seemed not to quiver the slightest in the presence of the famous Yunchang.

"By the order of our honorable Lord Sun Quan, we cannot allow you to go further," He spat. "Surrender or die, God of War."

Guan Yu said nothing, merely stared down at the lieutenant in some contempt. However, Guan Suo took the liberty of answering in some anger.

"You will take my head first before my father surrenders, and I will challenge you with all my might!" He said boldly – but no sooner had he uttered these words, Guan Yu pulled his son back, a warning look forming on his stern features.

"Who are you to challenge me, little brat?" The lieutenant scowled.

"I am Guan Suo, son of Guan Yu, and I dare you to fight me!"

The lieutenant sneered at Guan Suo, as his father began to speak in a low tone.

"Bloodthirstiness does not become you, my son – it would be wise to practice prudence in your words at this moment. Our focus is escape, not victory."

"You are nothing like your father," the lieutenant scorned him with disgust. "Nor will you ever be. You shall forever live in the shadow of your ancestors, and shall only bring shame to the name of your father!"

A vigorous heat coursed through Guan Suo's blood – he had but to bring his arm up to attack that swine of a lieutenant…

A heavy hand rested on his wrist, and Guan Suo looked up at his father's cautionary gaze. Guan Yu gave a small shake of the head, and, reluctantly, Guan Suo relaxed his muscles, bitterly glaring at the sneering general.

"Daddy's boy," He mocked contemptuously. "Can't even fight like a real man! What a disgrace!" With this, the fellow lieutenants burst out in guffaws, and Guan Suo felt his face heat up.

"Sons of Wu," Guan Yu suddenly spoke in a voice that caused all noise to cease. "I admire your courage. Let us make this battle even for all."

A heavy silence of confusion hung about the air around the Wu soldiers, but Guan Yu grasped his son's shoulders and looked him deep into his bewildered eyes.

"My son, we shall see each other again – in this life or the next, we cannot tell. Only know this," He commanded sternly. "My spirit lives on in you, if you should choose it. You, Guan Suo, are a God of War as well."

"Father-"

But in the moment in which Guan Suo began to understand, Guan Yu had lifted him into the air, and in a tremendous effort of pain, had thrown him off the cliff, into the raging waters that lay below.

Ignoring the ache in his heavy heart, he turned to face the Wu soldiers, all staring in shock at his actions, and readied his blade.

"Now, sons of Wu," He boomed, his eyes glistening like onyxes in the rising moonlight. "We shall fight to the death."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>_Hi guys :3 So I tried something **completely **new this time, and I know this was just a prologue. Don't worry, the romance kicks in, I promise, it's not going to be one of those draggy things (I hope). Anyway, a few things I'd like to point out:_

_1. No one (according to the apparently reliable search features) has done a Bao Sanniang / Guan Suo fic, but I like how this is a fresh couple (and not slightly strange, like Sun Quan and Lian Shi with her, ahem, gifts). If you're unfamiliar with their look, or want to know about their background story, or their relationship status, or just have a lot of free time and want to read up on Dynasty Warriors, visit .com and just hit that sexy search box! _

_2. I've deviated a bit (a lot?) from my previous writing style, because (a) I don't have an OC as a revolved around main character here, and, (b) I'm not writing in first person, which makes it a little difficult for me right now. Please forgive me if it seems a little bland at the start, but I'm planning to make up for my failure in writing in third person omniscient by inserting a lot of drama and romance. _

_3. If you guys have any questions about the story in this chapter, what it is, or why it's even relevant, just e-mail me! Just know that it's there because it's my stepping stone for all them good stuffs. _

_4. I might occasionally use style names here, so I'll put them in the last part for reference, in case people would like to know. :) Guan Yu's style name is Yunchang._

_5. This is not a one shot. Guan Suo is not dead, I swear to you. Otherwise this would be a failure story and I would commit suicide. _

_6. If anyone has access, time and the interest, pick up a copy of Dynasty Warriors 7! That game is killing me right now, I'm too in love with it. Also, Guan Suo's and Bao Sanniang's first legend stage is the next chapter's subject, so it's gonna be some great stuff. :) _

_I know this is a very unusual thing for me to do, but I hope you guys can give it a shot. Rest assured I will try to make it as interesting as possible, while keeping it short and sweet. If anyone has comments, suggestions, questions or even angry reactions, leave it in that review box! I love hearing from you guys!_

_All the best, _

_Aimee :)_


	2. Chapter 2

Guan Suo awoke in a state of absolute pain and cold. His mind was numb, and what conscious observation he had in him confirmed that the rest of his body was as well. His head throbbed with the force of a stampede, and it took him tremendous effort just to blink his eyes open.

Immediately, a searing pain shot through his system, and the world his vision perceived began to spin dizzyingly. With a groan, he shut his eyes and raised a stiff hand to rub the pain out of his face.

Wet? Why were his hands wet?

Forcing himself to sit up, Guan Suo took in his surroundings very carefully. A river raged heavily at his feet, rapids spattering themselves against the boulders. The water was inky black, a reflection of the cloudless night sky that shimmered like a great onyx blanket above his head. His clothes were soaked, doused in ice-cold water. A gash had opened at his arm, and the blood that had flowed earlier had seemingly dried up, a disgusting stain of red on his skin. Everywhere else was purplish with bruises, decorated with tiny cuts. What surface was not injured was definitely covered in mud.

Guan Suo shook his head and, slowly, hauled himself upright. He looked up at the moon, a sliver of pearl in the vastness of the night. In doing so, his heart sank, turning as cold as the water that rushed by him.

_Father_.

He was gone. The great warrior Guan Yu, the Blue Dragon, the inspiration of the Shu Army on the field of battle, the feared God of War, had sacrificed himself, stood fearlessly in the face of death and had fought until the last breath of his life left him. And for what? For a useless excuse for an officer, for a disappointment of a son. The guilt hung on Guan Suo like a two-ton weight on his heart.

_Father died because of me_.

And what would he do now? How could he come home? How could he face Guan Ping, to whom he had promised the safe return of their father? How could he even look at Lord Zhang Fei, who had lost the sworn brother he had loved for so many years? How could he face Lord Liu Bei, to whom he owed his allegiance, to whom Guan Yu had so faithfully offered his service? How could he be a part of the Shu Army now, if he was the reason for the demise of the commander of their army, their motivation for fighting?

Guan Suo struggled with the persistent urge to cast himself into the river and drown. But a small part of him reminded him of what he needed to do. It was his duty now, to himself and to Shu, to avenge the untimely death of his father. A surge of anger towards the Wu army restarted the dead energy that coursed sluggishly through him. He felt vibrant – and furious.

He could not take _all_ the blame – the Wu army had robbed him of his father, had robbed Lord Liu Bei of a brother, had robbed the soldiers of a War God. And it was his obligation now to destroy the Wu Army, to ensure they understood what they had taken from him. The lives of their commanders would be just about enough to avenge the loss of another so great.

_Bloodthirstiness does not become you, my son_.

His father's words rang clearly through his head, crashing against the thought of rage. Immediately, he felt drained again – his father would not want him to act rashly on his behalf. Such a feat of anger would be dishonorable, even to avenge family. And Guan Yu would not be pleased. He would not have soldiers dying in the name of vengeance – even if it was for him.

No, Guan Suo would wait. He would wait for the opportunity to prove himself, and at the same time, to even the score on his father's death. But for now, he would have to return home and face the disgrace – and perhaps the wrath of his brother. But it was a price to pay – one that he deserved fully.

Guan Suo collected himself, thinking he could scale the shallow cliff wall just as long as it was sturdy. He dreaded doing so – going home alone, lost and quite muddled – but he had no other choice. Steeling his fear, he clutched the face of the wall and heaved himself upwards.

It was then that he heard a bloodcurdling shriek pierce the night air.

* * *

><p>"Let me out right now! Don't make me hurt you, because I will!"<p>

Oh, _gods_. Of all the guards, why did it have to be him? There was a multitude, a surplus, even, of sturdy, burly and unyielding guards in the Wu army. Any other man on the battalion could have easily watched over this fort. They might have even considered it some sort of honor, or what have you. They could have been sitting here, dreaming up a promotion of sorts.

So, why _him?_ Why did he have to suffer the incessant ranting of a shrill teenage girl – well, she was really more like an overgrown child – while the others were able to return to the main camp? Why? Why? _Why?_

_Kill me now_, he begged the universe. All he wanted was peace and quiet, to return to camp and have the rest that he deserved.

All he got was a walking, talking mouth with the attitude of a cranky, pregnant baboon. Perhaps it was an over exaggeration – she was, after all, a young woman trapped inside an inescapable square, locked in the complex with only him for company. Still, it certainly didn't give her the right to verbally gnaw his head off with the sharp tongue not unlike a drunk sailor's. And, besides, it was really all her fault. If she hadn't come gambling in like a deranged rabbit, she wouldn't have gotten into this mess. Clearly, she'd picked the wrong fight, and it was of her own doing that she was now a prisoner of Wu.

"Hey, you cretin! I know you can hear me out there, so listen up – let me out _right now_ or I'll beat you up so bad I'll send you running back home, crying to your mother! Now, open this gate and face me like a real man!"

Then again, his patience could only go _so_ far to defend her motives. Already he was feeling whatever small amount of pity for her trickling slowly out, replaced with an intensely growing sense of exasperation.

Just as he thought he might actually strangle himself, his ears picked up the approaching sound of footsteps. A fellow guard, clad in red and holding a small banner emblazoned with the Wu insignia ran towards him. Stiffly, they saluted each other.

"Orders from the commander to retreat," The other man informed him. "Shu has fled back to Chengdu. We march back to Jiangdong in a day's time."

_Praise the gods_. He all but fell to his knees and kissed the bannerman's dusty shoes. He actually might have, if the other man had not nodded towards the locked gate.

"Who's in the complex?"

"Some crazy kid just messing around at the wrong time," the guard answered.

"Messing around?"

"Yeah, but we pinned her down and locked her up in the end. She's just screaming her head off now."

"It's a woman?" The bannerman looked skeptical. "Did they tell you what to do with her?"

"Yeah, guard her until the Rapture," the guard sighed. "Or something like that. Actually, everyone else just left me here and forgot about her. She didn't do much, but she annoyed some of the corporals."

"Well, get rid of her already. We can't take prisoners back to base, and certainly not back to Jiangdong."

"Get rid of her?" astonishment crossed his face. "You mean, get rid of her, or _get rid of her_?"

"Hey!" A shriek from inside interrupted angrily. "I can hear you from in here, and I'm telling you, I won't go down with a fight!"

"I mean whichever will take less time. And whichever will shut her up more."

They lapsed into a contemplative silence, after which the guard gave a somber shrug of the shoulders and unlocked the gates. The bannerman assisted him in pushing the heavy wooden doors open, to reveal a young woman covered in dust and wearing a murderous expression.

"I see you've finally decided to take up my challenge," she hissed. "Now you'll be sorry you ever locked me up in that ugly wooden box!"

It was an impressive feat of bravery, the guard had to admit. Even with all the time she'd spent howling hatred out at him, he had to admire the ferocity in her face. Still, a little teenage girl with as much upper body strength as a kitten was no match for two strong armored men, and this fact was proven by the short scuffle they had, resulting to the guard hoisting her upon his broad shoulder. Her limbs flailed out, like fishes out of water. She was scratching and kicking and beating upon his back. _Good grief_, he thought. _Does she ever stop?_

"Put me down, you big brute!" She demanded, mustering up all her strength and pounding on his armor. "Put me _down_!"

His patience all but spent, the guard grunted and shook her weight off his shoulder, planting her unceremoniously upon the ground. Before she could do something like spit into his eyes, he turned her around, having her face the edge of the precipice she now stood on.

That seemed to shut her up well enough.

"Look, missy, nothing personal, but we can't bring home prisoners of war. Especially not a little girl like you. So…" Was he supposed to make a farewell speech? It'd take too much time, he considered, and it would only be a matter of seconds before she gathered up the courage to struggle in his grip again. He decided it would be best to just get it over with, and go back home to Jiangdong. He steeled himself, and pried his fingers away from her arm. A release of tension in his muscles collided with her slender back, and he sent her teetering, stumbling, falling off the edge. A scream unmatched by any creature escaped her.

The last thing he felt was a dull object making painful contact with the back of his head. The guard collapsed to the floor heavily, and he saw the delicate body of the young girl disappear over the cliff before he felt his consciousness slip away.

Her name was Bao Sanniang, but he didn't have time to know that. Anyway, it didn't matter. She was dead already.

* * *

><p>It only took a moment for Guan Suo to remind himself that he could not do the impossible. He had been blindly trying to escape, unsure of which way would lead him back to Chengdu. He thought he had finally found a familiar landscape, perhaps something he had passed by earlier on in the battle. Instead, he found himself drawn to the sound of what seemed like tortured caterwauling.<p>

He only had a glimpse of the scene as it played out, but somehow he found himself knocking out the bannerman and running out to the edge of the cliff to bring the same fate upon the guard. Too late, however, the girl had fallen out of sight. In an act of desperation he launched his upper torso over the edge and thrust out his hand.

Now, he found himself pulling hard upon the girl's wrist, trying to save her from a certain death waiting a hundred feet below. It was no easy feat – he felt his shoulder doing all it could not to dislocate from its socket. The sound of rushing blood pounded in his ears. He couldn't hold on for much longer.

Thankfully, she found her footing – a boot against the cliff face was all he needed to hoist her up into safety again. Only when they were both safe on stable land did Guan Suo feel the need to calm his quickly beating heart. The girl was busy catching her breath as well, having narrowly avoided a long and agonizing death. Only when they had both regained their composure did they look at each other.

The locking of their gazes was charged with electricity. Neither could pull away – though it started a curious thing, they now stared hard at each other with a complex swirl of emotion. Gratitude. Shock. Happiness. Confusion.

The girl was the first to break the moment's tension.

"Thank you," she said sweetly, and Guan Suo noticed that this was the same voice crying bloody murder not fifteen minutes ago. Still, there was something remotely moving about the overflowing appreciation in her voice that Guan Suo could not help feeling slightly abashed. Perhaps it was the strain of the pulling, but his cheeks colored up a light shade of pink.

"It's no problem, Lady…" he trailed off, hoping she would supply him with a name.

"No lady, just Bao Sanniang," she giggled.

"Bao Sanniang," the name felt fresh and new, alien on his tongue.

"Can I have the name of my knight in… green armor?" Her laugh was like a peal of bells ringing in the night sky.

"My name is Guan Suo."

"Guan Suo," she repeated, and her lips formed each syllable perfectly, as though she had always known him. "Thank you for saving my life."


End file.
